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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016  with  funding  from 
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https://archive.org/details/artscienceofgildOOford_0 


The  Art  and  Sc3ence 
OF  Ge,ding 


A HAND  BOOK  OF  INFORMATION 
FOR  THE  PICTURE  FRAMER 


Practical  instructions  in  the  art  of  gilding  picture 
frames.  Information  that  will  enable  anyone 
to  finish  frames  in 

GOLD  AND  SILVER  LEAF,  BRONZE 
AND  DUTCH  METAL 

Formulas  for  compounding  the  different  materials 
used;  also  receipts  for  mixing  and  handling 
compo,  and  the  making  of  cement  molds, 
together  with  much  valuable  infor- 
mation acquired  through  more 
than  a quarter  of  a century 
in  the  gilding  business 

Compiled  and  published  by 

FORD  & 

190-196  Edinburgh  St  Rochester,  N,  Y. 


Copyright  1909  by  Ford  & Mimmack. 


rHE  GEHY  CENTER 
LIBRARY 


PREFACE 


During  the  past  few  years,  we  have  received  many  re- 
quests from  retail  picture  frame  dealers  for  information 
that  would  enable  them  to  do  their  own  re-gilding.  Books 
have  been  written  on  the  subject;  but  nothing  practical 
has  ever  been  published.  Having  followed  the  trade  of 
Picture  Framing  and  Gilding  for  nearly  thirty  years,  we 
have  put  into  this  little  volume  some  of  the  knowledge 
acquired;  and  have  endeavored  to  explain  the  different 
processes  used  by  gilders. 

In  a factory,  an  apprentice  has  to  work  about  four 
years  before  he  is  looked  upon  as  a competent  gilder. 
Even  then,  there  is  much  necessary  information  that  he 
may  not  have  acquired.  Employers  and  foremen  usually 
keep  secret  many  of  the  formulas,  and  give  the  workmen 
the  materials  mixed,  ready  for  use. 

In  this  book,  all  of  these  formulas  are  given,  with  ex- 
plicit directions  for  compounding  them ; and  with  its  aid, 
one  with  ordinary  intelligence  and  a few  weeks  of  prac- 
tice, can  do  very  creditable  work.  The  beginner  will 
doubtless  be  awkward  and  clumsy,  especially  in  handling 
the  leaf ; but  a little  practice  will  soon  overcome  the  dif- 
ficulty. As  no  special  aptitude  is  required,  anyone  can 


4 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


become  a good  gilder.  Besides  instruction  in  the  pro- 
cess of  laying  Gold,  Silver  and  Metal  Leaf,  and  the  use 
of  Bronze,  valuable  information  is  given  for  restoring  old 
prints  and  engravings  which  may  have  become  discolored. 

In  addition  to  the  formulas  used  by  gilders,  we  give  in- 
structions for  making  the  composition  (usually  called 
compo)  from  which  the  ornaments  are  made.  When  do- 
ing re-gilding  work,  this  is  a necessary  article  to  replace 
missing  or  to  repair  broken  ornaments. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Gilding 7-8 

Regilding 9 

Puttying lO-ll 

Rewhitening 12-13 

Sandpapering 14 

Preparing I5“I7 

Shellacing 18-19 

Preparing  Ornaments  for  Burnishing 20-21 

Applying  Oil  Size 22-23 

Laying  Gold  Leaf  on  Flats 24-25 

Laying  Gold  Leaf  on  Ornaments 26-27 

Skewing 28-29 

Applying  Finish  Size 30 

Laying  Gold  Leaf  for  Burnishing 31-32 

Burnishing  Ornaments 33 

Burnishing  Hollows  and  Beads 34 

Gilding  New  Work 35-36 

Matte  Gilding 37-3^ 

Gilding  with  Dutch  Metal 39-40 

Applying  Silver  Leaf 41 

Roman  Gold  Gilding 42-43 

Gilding  with  Liquid  Bronze 44-45 

Bleaching  Old  Engravings 46-47 

The  Gilder's  Tip,  Use  and  Care  of 48 

The  Cushion  and  how  to  use  it 49 


6 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Page 

Cutting  the  Gold 50 

Stock  Size 51 

Gilder’s  Putty 52 

Thin  White 53 

Thick  White 54 

Shellac  Clear  Coat  for  Regilding 55 

Clear  Coat  for  New  Work 55 

Rabbit  Skin  Glue  Size 56 

Glue  Size  for  Gold  Burnish  Work 56 

Gold  Burnish  Size 56 

Oil  Gold  Size 57 

Matte  Gold  Size  No.  i 57 

Matte  Gold  Size  No.  2 57 

Gilding  Liquor 58 

Size  for  Roman  Gold  Burnishes 58 

Size  for  mixing  with  Roman  Gold 58 

Liquid  Bronze 58 

Red  Clay  Size 59 

Finish  Size 59 

Lacquer  for  Dutch  Metal 59 

Composition  (Compo) 60-61 

Composition  Moulds 62 

Cement  Moulds 63-64 

Solution  for  Bleaching  Old  Engravings 65 

Brushes 66 

Care  of  Brushes 67 

Gilder’s  Outfit 68 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 

Gilding. 

In  using  the  word  “gilding,’^  we  do  not  refer  to  gold 
plating ; but  to  the  process  of  applying  gold  or  silver  leaf 
to  a moulding  or  frame,  as  it  is  practiced  by  the  picture 
frame  manufacturers  and  dealers. 

There  are  two  styles  of  dull  gold  work;  oil  gold 
and  matte  gold.  (These  are  produced  by  different 
processes  which  will  be  explained.)  In  contrast  to  these 
dull  effects  is  the  bright  or  burnished  gold. 

In  doing  over  old  work,  it  is  customary  to  burnish  the 
parts  that  were  orignally  burnished;  but  on  new  work, 
the  gilder  has  to  select  the  parts  that  it  is  advisable  to 
burnish.  Sometimes  it  will  be  the  entire  top  of  the 
ornament ; but  usually,  to  give  the  best  effects,  the  higher 
parts  are  selected. 

On  the  smooth  parts  of  the  frame,  the  concave  places 
(called  hollows)  and  the  convex  parts  (called  beads) 
are  the  parts  generally  burnished. 

It  will  be  found  that  the  hollows  and  beads  are  easier 


8 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


to  burnish  than  the  flats,  and  the  wider  the  flat,  the 
harder  it  is  to  accomplish  good  work. 

As  a great  amount  of  the  gilding  done  in  retail 
stores  is  the  refinishing  of  old  frames,  we  will  take  up 
this  class  of  work  first  and  more  in  detail. 

We  wish  to  impress  on  the  beginner  as  strongly  as 
possible,  the  necessity  of  preparing  the  frame.  If  it  is 
not  prepared  properly,  good  work  cannot  be  done.  It 
is  just  as  essential  to  have  the  preliminary  work  care- 
fully executed,  as  any  other  part  of  the  process.  This 
work,  if  slighted  by  the  gilder,  will  in  time  come  to 
light ; and  it  will  be  necessary  to  regild  the  frame. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


9 


Regilding  Old  Frames. 

The  first  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  condition  of 
the  frame.  If  it  be  loose  at  the  joints,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  take  it  apart  and  rejoin. 

If  any  of  the  ornaments  are  loose,  they  should  be 
removed  and  glued  on  again;  or,  if  missing,  they  must 
be  replaced. 

If  pieces  have  been  broken  off  the  ornaments,  all 
that  may  be  necessary  is  to  take  a piece  of  soft  compo 
(Formula  20),  dip  it  in  hot  water,  and  press  it  on  the 
broken  place;  then  mould  the  compo,  as  near  as  you 
can,  to  the  shape  required,  using  the  fingers  and  a stick 
or  knife.  It  will  be  found  that,  by  dipping  the  stick 
in  water,  or  by  using  saliva,  the  compo  will  work  more 
readily. 

If  so  much  of  the  ornament  is  missing  that  it  is  nor 
practicable  to  mould  it  by  hand,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  make  a compo  mould.  (Formula  21.)  The  gilder 
will  then  be  able  to  supply  the  missing  parts  by  using 
this  mould  (See  instructions  for  casting  on  page  60.) 

This  will  do  in  nearly  all  cases;  but  when  there  is 
a frame  with  the  ornament  missing  from  the  entire  side, 
it  may  be  necessary  to  make  a cement  mould  to  accomp- 
lish better  results.  (See  Formula  No.  22.) 


10 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Puttying. 

Next  putty  the  mitres  and  all  cracks  that  there  may  be 
in  the  coating  of  whiting  which  covers  the  wood. 
To  do  this  properly,  take  a sharp  pointed  knife  and 
scrape  or  cut  along  the  crack,  making  it  larger,  and 
leaving  it  in  a V shape,  so  that  the  putty  may  be  pushed 
down  to  the  bottom. 

Take  a piece  of  putty  (Formula  No.  2)  about  the  size 
of  a walnut.  As  the  heat  of  the  fingers  will  cause  the 
putty  to  gradually  become  dry,  slightly  moisten  it 
from  time  to  time  as  needed.  Most  gilders  use  spittle 
for  this  purpose. 

The  putty  is  put  into  the  cracks  with  a putty  stick. 
This  is  a piece  of  hard  wood,  about  four  inches  long, 
one-half  inch  wide  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick, 
pointed  at  one  end,  rounded  at  the  other  and  sharpened 
on  the  edges.  Fill  the  crack  with  putty,  leaving  the 
top  in  a rounded  shape,  as  the  putty  shrinks  a little 
in  drying. 

In  a very  wide  crack,  the  putty  may  check  or  crack 
in  drying.  In  such  a case,  it  is  best  to  cut  away  the 
whiting  down  to  the  wood  for  at  least  three-eighths  of 
an  inch  on  each  side  of  the  crack.  Then  glue  a heavy 
piece  of  canvas  to  the  wood  thus  exposed.  After  this 
is  dry,  fill  in  with  putty,  and  smooth  as  we  are  about 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


11 


to  describe.  This  canvas  treatment  is  used  only  on 
flats  that  persist  in  cracking,  but  it  is  not  necessary 
where  the  surface  is  ornamented.  As  the  putty  will  in 
most  cases  fill  the  cracks,  it  will  seldom  be  necessary  to 
use  this  method. 

Cut  or  ream  out  and  fill  with  putty  all  the  nail  holes, 
leaving  the  top  of  the  putty  rounded.  This  is  done 
so  that  there  will  be  sufficient  putty  in  the  cracks  and 
nail  holes  to  leave  them  flush  with  the  surface  after 
they  have  been  sandpapered  and  smoothed. 


12 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Rewhitening. 

If,  in  regilding  a frame  on  the  style  of  an  old-fash- 
ioned mirror  frame,  where  there  are  no  ornaments,  it 
is  found  that  the  whiting  is  so  badly  cracked  that  it 
is  practically  impossible  to  put  it  in  condition  for  gild- 
ing by  puttying,  it  is  advisable  to  entirely  remove  the 
whiting,  and  coat  it  over  again. 

To  remove  the  whiting,  take  a large  pail  of  saw- 
dust and  pour  water  on  it  until  the  saw-dust  becomes 
thoroughly  soaked.  Put  the  frame  on  the  floor,  face 
side  up,  and  pack  the  wet  saw-dust  two  or  three  inches 
thick,  upon  and  around  the  whiting  to  be  removed. 
Allow  this  to  remain  for  at  least  two  days,  occasion- 
ally pouring  water  on  the  saw-dust,  to  be  sure  that  it 
remains  thoroughly  wet. 

Then  with  a knife  scrape  off  the  whiting,  and  after 
doing  so,  allow  the  frame  to  become  perfectly  dry 
before  applying  the  whitening. 

First,  rejoin  the  frame,  as  the  soaking  will  have 
made  that  necessary.  Then  give  the  frame  a liberal 
coat  of  thin  white.  (Formula  No.  3,  using  brush  No. 
7.  When  diy',  give  five  heavy  coats  of  thick  white 
(Formula  No.  4,  also  with  brush  No.  7),  and  have  the 
first  coat  of  thick  white  smooth  and  heavy.  The  sec- 
ond coat  must  be  what  is  called  a tap  coat;  applied 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


13 


by  tapping  the  thick  white  on,  instead  of  brushing  it 
on.  This  will  produce  a rough  effect,  and  serve  to 
make  the  third  coat  (which  is  put  on  like  the  first, 
thick  and  smooth)  adhere  better.  The  fourth  is  a tap 
coat,  like  the  second,  and  the  fifth  and  last,  a smooth 
coat.  Allow  each  to  dry  before  applying  the  next. 

After  these  coats  are  dry,  the  frame  will  be  ready 
for  smoothing.  A piece  of  pumice  stone,  shaped  the 
reverse  of  the  moulding  on  the  frame,  will  be  needed. 
Before  soaking  the  frame  to  remove  the  whiting,  shape 
the  pumice  stone  by  taking  a piece  of  sandpaper  and  plac- 
ing it  over  the  moulding,  face  side  out.  Then  by  rubbing 
the  pumice  stone  on  the  sandpaper,  the  shape  required  can 
soon  be  obtained. 

Next,  take  a bowl  of  water  and  brush  (No.  8). 
Wet  the  frame  well,  and  dip  the  pumice  stone  in  the 
water  before  using;  then  rub  it  over  the  frame  until 
the  whiting  becomes  smooth  and  shapely. 

After  allowing  it  to  dry,  smooth  it  again,  first  with 
No.  I and  then  with  No.  o sandpaper.  Brush  off  with  a 
duster,  and  the  frame  will  be  ready  for  the  preparations 
used  in  gilding. 


14 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Sandpapering. 

First,  select  the  parts  which  are  to  be  burnished.  The 
parts  chosen  must  be  well  sandpapered,  leaving  none 
of  the  old  gold  or  bronze  on  the  surface.  Sandpaper 
until  the  composition  is  quite  clean.  If  this  is  not 
done  properly,  the  thick  white,  which  is  the  first  pre- 
paration for  burnished  ornaments,  is  liable  to  crack 
or  chip  off  when  the  burnisher  is  applied. 

As  a rule,  the  flats  on  old  frames  will  not  permit 
of  either  burnish  or  matte  work,  owing  to  the  age  of 
the  preparation,  and  the  fact  that  these  flats  show  the 
cracks  more  than  ornamented  surfaces.  Hollows,  beads 
and  flats  on  regilding  work,  must  be  in  first-class  con- 
dition if  they  are  to  be  burnished  or  laid  in  matte. 
If  not  in  good  condition,  they  would  be  better  laid  in 
oil,  then  the  cracks  will  not  show  so  plainly. 

On  new  work,  the  flats,  beads  and  hollows  will  re- 
quire no  thick  or  thin  white,  as  they  are  well  prepared, 
and  will  need  no  attention  on  the  part  of  the  workman 
except  puttying  the  mitres,  and  sandpapering  smooth. 


IB 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 
Preparing. 

After  the  ornaments  to  be  burnished  are  well  sand- 
papered, place  the  cup  of  thin  white  (Formula  No.  3) 
in  a pan  of  water,  and  heat  until  melted. 

Take  a brush  (No.  7)  and  go  over  the  entire  frame. 
Do  not  apply  this  thin  white  as  you  would  apply  paint, 
but  dab  it  down  in  and  around  the  ornaments.  The 
tops  of  the  ornaments  will  take  care  of  themselves. 
After  the  section  of  frame  is  well  covered  (but  not 
flooded),  do  not  work  over  again.  Allow  this  coat 
to  dry. 

Now  melt  the  thick  white  (Formula  No.  4)  by  let- 
ting it  stand  in  fairly  warm  water;  but  do  not  allow 
it  to  became  hot.  The  thick  white  is  now  used  for  the 
tops  of  ornaments  that  are  to  be  burnished,  and  is 
applied  to  the  ornaments  by  using  a brush  (No.  3). 

Put  it  on  thick  and  smooth,  practically  flowing  it 
on;  yet  not  so  thick  that  it  will  run  off  the  ornaments. 

Give  two  coats  of  the  thick  white,  and  be  sure  to 
allow  the  first  coat  to  become  thoroughly  dry  before 
applying  the  second.  These  two  coats  of  thick  white 
are  to  be  applied  only  to  the  tops  of  the  ornaments 
that  are  to  be  burnished,  the  ornaments  having  already 
received  a coat  of  thin  white. 

When  the  coats  (one  of  thin  white  and  two  of  thick 


i6 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


white)  are  dry,  which  will  take  about  one-half  hour, 
take  a brush  (No.  8)  and  a bowl  of  cold  water.  Dip 
the  brush  in  water  and  apply  it  to  the  ornamented 
part  of  the  frame;  brush  it  hard,  down  around  the 
ornaments  and  take  up  with  the  brush  the  whiting 
that  is  thus  washed  off.  Squeeze  the  whiting  out  of 
the  brush  and  dip  in  the  water  again,  continuing  this  until 
all  of  the  ornamented  parts  of  the  frame  have  been 
treated.  Take  up  with  brush  all  surplus  water. 

While  thus  dabbing  or  rubbing  the  ornaments  with 
the  brush,  use  the  other  hand  to  rub  the  tops  of  all 
ornaments,  particularly  those  to  be  burnished.  This 
aids  in  smoothing,  also  in  keeping  the  original  shape 
of  the  ornaments.  In  smoothing  the  flats,  it  is  advis- 
able to  use  a damp  cloth  instead  of  a brush.  Then  set 
the  frame  aside  to  dry. 

When  the  frame  has  become  perfectly  dry,  sand- 
paper all  parts  that  can  be  easily  reached  with  No.  o 
sandpaper,  giving  the  parts  that  are  to  be  burnished 
an  etxra  treatment  with  sandpaper  No.  oo.  In  sand- 
papering ornaments,  be  sure  that  they  are  not  flattened 
by  continuous  rubbing;  but  take  care  to  work  the 
sandpaper  so  as  to  retain  the  shape  of  the  ornaments. 

The  frame  must  be  dusted  carefully,  particularly 
around  the  ornaments.  It  is  advisable  to  first  turn  the 
frame  down,  and  knock  lightly  on  the  back  with  a 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


17 


piece  of  wood,  then  dust  with  a brush  (No.  12),  which 
should  be  kept  for  this  purpose  only. 

After  removing  the  frame,  take  a wet  cloth  and  wipe 
oif  all  the  dust  from  the  bench.  This  is  better  than  using 
a duster,  for  it  dampens  and  settles  the  dust;  while,  if  a 
duster  is  used,  it  may  send  the  dust  all  over  the  room, 
sticking  to  any  frames  that  may  be  ready  to  gild. 

It  is  advisable  to  do  all  the  preparing  and  gilding 
in  a room  as  free  from  dust  as  possible;  and,  in  case 
it  is  necessary  to  sweep  while  preparing  work  for  gild- 
ing, cover  with  paper  the  frames  and  preparations, 
until  the  dust  has  settled. 


18 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Shellacing. 

When  the  frame  has  been  well  dusted,  it  is  ready 
for  a coat  of  shellac  (Formula  No.  5).  It  is  necessary 
to  cover  with  shellac  all  parts  of  the  frame,  excepting 
those  parts  that  are  to  be  burnished.  If  this  is  not 
done,  the  whiting  will  absorb  the  oil  size,  and  the  gold 
leaf  will  not  adhere. 

Apply  the  shellac  (Formula  No.  5)  to  the  ornaments 
first,  leaving  the  flat  parts  of  the  frame  to  be  shellaced 
last.  To  put  it  on  the  frame,  use  a brush  (No.  ii), 
and  apply  by  dabbing  it  down  and  around  the  orna- 
ments. The  gilder  should  be  very  careful  to  see  that 
none  of  the  shellac  gets  on  the  parts  to  be  burnished. 
Should  it  run  over  on  these  places,  wipe  it  off  with 
the  finger.  It  is  best  to  first  take  a brush  (No.  2) 
and  cut  around  the  parts  to  be  burnished  with  the 
shellac.  By  doing  this,  one  may  use  the  larger  brush 
with  less  care  in  shellacing  the  remainder  of  the  frame. 

Do  not  flood  the  ornaments  with  shellac;  but  cover 
them  well,  using  care  to  get  down,  in,  and  around 
them;  then  wipe  up  the  shellac  so  there  will  be  no 
runs.  When  the  ornaments  are  finished,  and  the  flats 
ready  to  be  shellaced,  there  must  be  no  runs  or  partly 
shellaced  places  which  would  show  badly  when  gilded. 

When  shellacing  flats,  start  at  one  corner  of  the 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


19 


frame,  and  draw  the  brush  to  the  opposite  corner,  lay- 
ing the  shellac  as  smoothly  as  possible. 

When  the  frame  is  perfectly  dry,  examine  the  flats 
closely,  also  down,  in  and  around  the  ornaments.  If 
the  shellac  has  soaked  in,  or  some  places  have  not 
been  covered,  give  these  parts  a second  coat.  This 
can  be  done  on  ornaments  without  going  over  the 
entire  frame,  by  using  a smaller  brush;  but,  if  any 
part  of  the  flat  surface  is  not  properly  covered,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  go  over  all  of  that  flat  again.  It  is  not 
advisable  to  try  to  patch  flats  with  shellac,  for  they  will 
show  very  plainly  when  laid  in  gold.  Bear  in  mind 
that  flat  surfaces  on  frames  must  be  shellaced  as  smoothly 
as  possible  in  order  to  secure  good  results. 

After  the  frame  is  coated  with  the  shellac,  take  a 
piece  of  cheese  cloth,  wet  it  in  alcohol,  and  wipe  off 
thoroughly  all  the  places  that  are  to  be  burnished;  for, 
in  shellacing  the  frame,  some  of  the  places  to  be  burn- 
ished may  have  been  touched  with  the  shellac.  If  not 
removed,  these  parts  will  chip  off  when  the  ornaments 
are  burnished. 


20 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Preparing  Ornaments  for  Burnishing. 

The  ornaments  are  now  ready  to  receive  three  coats 
of  burnish  size.  Place  the  cup  containing  the  gold 
burnish  size  (Formula  No.  9)  in  a pan  of  warm  water. 
If  this  is  allowed  to  become  hot,  it  will  pin-hole;  so 
be  careful  to  heat  it  just  enough  to  melt  it.  Stir  the 
size  while  in  process  of  melting,  and  after  it  is  melted, 
remove  it  from  the  pan  of  hot  water. 

Take  a brush  (No.  3)  and  dip  it  into  the  size.  Do 
not  wipe  the  size  off  the  brush  in  the  edge  of  the  cup, 
but  use  the  quantity  of  size  which  naturally  adheres 
to  the  brush. 

Flow  this  on  to  the  tops  of  the  ornaments  to  be 
burnished.  Do  not  flood  it  on  so  thick  that  it  will  run 
off  on  the  parts  that  are  not  to  be  burnished;  but  give 
the  ornaments  a heavy  coat,  letting  each  coat  dry  be- 
fore applying  the  next.  It  will  take  about  fifteen 
minutes  for  each  coat  to  dry. 

If  flats  or  hollows  are  to  be  burnished,  do  not  use 
the  burnish  size  as  freely  as  on  the  ornaments,  but 
be  particular  to  lay  it  as  smoothly  and  evenly  as  possible, 
after  the  manner  of  applying  paint. 

When  the  third  coat  is  dry,  take  a small  piece  of 
No.  00  sandpaper  and  rub  it  on  the  face  of  a larger 
piece.  This  will  remove  the  heavier  sand  from  the 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


21 


surface.  Then  take  the  smaller  piece  and  split  it — 
that  is,  separate  the  two  layers  of  paper  by  peeling  off 
the  back.  This  will  leave  the  sandpaper  thin,  and  it 
will  work  better  on  the  burnished  parts,  as  the  thick 
sandpaper  might  cut  through  the  size.  Sandpaper  the 
parts  to  be  burnished  with  the  split  sandpaper,  which 
will  not  remove  the  size,  but  will  smooth  it  and  give 
it  a polish. 


22 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Applying  Oil  Size. 

After  sandpapering,  dust  the  frame,  which  is  then 
ready  to  be  given  a coat  of  oil  size.  (Formula  No.  lo.) 

For  this  purpose,  use  brush  (No.  7).  Do  not  apply 
the  oil  gold  size  as  paint  is  applied;  but  dab  it  down,  in 
and  around  the  ornaments,  using  as  little  oil  as  possible. 
It  will  be  found  that  it  requires  very  little  oil  to  cover  a 
good  sized  frame. 

All  parts  should  be  carefully  covered,  but  the  thinner 
the  oil  is  applied,  the  better  will  be  the  result.  If  too 
much  oil  has  been  applied  a skin  will  form  over  it, 
leaving  wet  oil  beneath;  and,  when  the  gold  is  applied, 
this  skin  will  break  and  cause  trouble.  Do  not  use  the 
oil  too  freely,  but  be  sure  that  all  parts  are  covered. 
Look  over  the  frame,  and  if  any  hairs  from  the  brush 
are  found  sticking  to  it,  carefully  remove  them. 

After  the  frame  is  oiled,  take  a cloth  that  is  free 
from  lint,  and  moisten  it  with  benzine.  With  this, 
wipe  off  all  parts  that  are  to  be  burnished,  but  do  not 
let  the  cloth  touch  any  of  the  oiled  parts  which  are  not  to 
be  burnished;  for,  if  this  happens,  the  gold  will  not 
stick.  When  the  burnished  parts  have  been  carefully 
wiped,  set  the  frame  away  out  of  the  dust,  and  leave 
for  about  16  to  24  hours. 

It  is  advisable  to  oil  the  frame  in  the  afternoon  and 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


23 


leave  it  until  the  next  morning.  It  can  be  gilded  any- 
time during  the  following  day. 

If  one  wishes  to  oil  a frame  on  Saturday  so  as  to 
gild  on  the  following  Monday,  omit  the  Japan  dryer; 
then  the  oil  will  not  dry  so  quickly. 


24 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Laying  the  Gold  on  Flats. 

The  frame  is  now  ready  to  be  laid  in  oil  gold,  or,  in 
other  words,  the  dull  dead  gold.  Before  doing  this, 
we  would  advise  wiping  off  once  more  the  parts  to  be 
burnished,  using  a cloth  free  from  lint,  and  wet  with 
benzine.  The  reason  for  this  is,  that  some  spots  of 
oil  may  have  been  left  on  those  parts,  and  unless  they 
are  removed,  the  burnishing  will  not  come  out  bright 
and  clear. 

When  this  has  been  done,  take  a book  of  gold  leaf, 
and  blow  a few  leaves  out  on  the  back  of  the  gilder’s 
cushion.  (See  pages  49  and  50  for  instructions 
for  handling  cushion  and  cutting  gold.)  It  is  best  to 
blow  out  but  one  or  two  leaves  at  first,  until  one  has 
become  accustomed  to  handling  it  and  has  acquired  the 
knack  of  picking  up  a leaf  with  the  point  of  the  gilder’s 
knife,  placing  it  on  the  front  of  the  cushion,  and  blow- 
ing it  out  flat.  The  gold  can  then  be  cut  any  size 
required. 

In  blowing  out  the  gold,  do  not  blow  hard  or  long, 
but  place  the  mouth  over  the  centre  of  the  leaf,  and 
about  four  or  five  inches  away.  Give  a light,  sharp 
puff,  about  as  strong  as  is  necessary  to  blow  a crumb 
from  the  end  of  the  tongue.  This  will  become  easy 
after  a little  practise. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


25 


It  is  customary  to  gild  the  flats  first.  For  a flat 
surface  an  inch  wide,  cut  the  gold  about  one  and  one- 
fourth  inches  wide.  This  will  allow  for  putting  it  on 
unevenly,  as  one  undoubtedly  will  at  first.  If  one  were 
to  cut  it  the  exact  size  to  cover,  and  did  not  get  it  on 
true,  it  would  be  necessary  to  lay  on  another  full-sized 
piece,  and  that  would  take  more  gold  than  if  a little 
were  allowed  for  unsteadiness.  Of  course  as  one 
becomes  more  expert,  one  can  cut  closer  to  the  size 
required. 


26 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Laying  Gold  on  Ornaments. 

After  cutting  the  leaf  of  gold  to  the  size  required, 
as  instructed  on  page  50,  place  the  hairs  of  the  tip  on 
the  piece  of  gold  which  is  to  be  used,  and  it  will  adhere  to 
the  tip.  Be  careful  to  hold  the  tip  squarely  and  evenly 
when  bringing  it  in  contact  with  the  gold;  then  lay 
the  piece  of  gold  flatly  and  as  evenly  as  possible  on 
the  place  it  is  to  cover.  The  gilder  will  probably  be 
very  awkward  at  first,  and  will  make  many  slips,  but 
it  becomes  easy  after  a little  practice.  Next  apply  the 
second  piece,  allowing  it  to  lap  over  the  first  at  least 
one-quarter  of  an  inch. 

After  all  flats  or  smooth  surfaces  are  covered,  lay 
gold  on  the  ornaments.  This  does  not  require  as  much 
care  as  when  laying  the  flats;  as  the  laps  will  not  show 
so  plainly  on  the  uneven  surface.  However,  it  requires 
more  gold  leaf  to  gild  an  ornament,  than  it  does  to 
gild  a smooth,  flat  surface. 

In  applying  the  gold  leaf  to  ornaments,  do  not  put 
the  leaf  on  flat  as  one  would  on  a flat  surface;  but 
hold  the  tip  so  that  one  end  of  the  leaf  will  strike  the 
ornament  first;  then  allow  the  balance  of  the  leaf  to 
come  down,  in  and  around  the  ornament.  This  will 
cover  the  ornament  better,  and  in  the  end,  not  as  much 
gold  will  be  used  as  if  the  leaf  were  laid  flat. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


27 


When  the  frame  is  covered  with  gold  ,take  a small 
piece  of  absorbent  cotton  and  press  down  the  gold  on 
the  flat,  smooth  surfaces,  only..  For  wide  flats  use  brush 
No.  13,  and  starting  at  the  leaf  that  was  laid  last,  draw 
the  brush  gently  over  the  gold.  The  weight  of  the 
brush  will  be  sufficient  pressure.  Should  the  brush  be 
drawn  in  the  opposite  direction,  it  will  raise  the  laps 
of  the  gold. 

For  pressing  down  the  gold  on  the  ornaments,  use 
brush  No.  13;  hold  it  perpendicular,  and  press  the 
gold  down  fairly  hard.  It  will  then  be  necessary  to 
apply  a second  layer  of  gold,  to  the  ornamented  surface, 
as  the  first  layer  will  not  entirely  cover  the  ornaments. 
This  second  layer  of  gold  should  also  be  pressed  down 
with  brush  No.  13. 


28 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Skewing. 

The  frame  is  now  ready  for  skewing.  Skewing  is 
brushing  off  the  loose  particles  of  gold  leaf  and,  at  the 
same  time,  brushing  them  on  to  the  places  where  the 
gold  has  not  adhered,  so  that  the  entire  surface  will 
be  covered. 

Skewings  are  the  particles  of  gold  which  have  been 
brushed  off. 

Take  a clean  piece  of  paper,  at  least  a foot  larger 
each  way  than  the  frame.  Put  it  on  the  bench  and 
on  it  place  the  frame.  This  paper  is  to  catch  the 
particles  of  gold  (skewings)  that  fly  off  during  the 
process,  and  to  give  a clean  surface  on  which  to  brush 
them  together. 

Use  brush  No.  lo  and  work  on  the  flats  first.  The 
gold  has  already  been  pressed  down.  Go  over  these 
parts  with  the  brush,  using  a rubbing  motion,  just  enough 
to  remove  the  loose  particles  and  smooth  the  gold.  On 
the  ornaments,  first  use  brush  No.  14  to  break  up  the 
gold,  then  with  brush  No.  10  rub  over  gently,  and  dab 
down  and  around  them,  using  a downward  and  at  the 
same  time,  a brushing  stroke. 

This  will  make  the  gold  smooth,  and  at  the  same 
time  brush  out  loose  particles.  Places  will  now  be 
found  which  the  gold  has  not  covered.  To  cover  these. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


29 


brush  together  the  skewings  on  the  paper;  and  it  will 
be  found  that,  by  placing  the  brush  on  them,  and 
squeezing  the  hair  together  with  the  finger  and  thumb, 
many  of  the  skewings  may  be  picked  up.  Put  these 
on  the  places  which  are  imperfectly  covered  and  skew 
over  again.  Keep  close  watch  of  the  tops  of  the  orna- 
ments, to  see  that  the  gold  is  not  being  rubbed  off 
when  skewing  the  hollows. 

When  the  frame  is  well  skewed,  take  the  brush  No. 
14  and  dust  out  all  particles  of  gold  on  to  the  paper. 
Gather  these  up  and  put  into  a cardboard  box  for 
future  use.  It  will  save  considerable  gold  leaf  if  the 
skewings  are  saved  and  used  in  gilding  other  frames. 

They  may  be  used  to  gild  cracks  in  the  leaf;  also 
places  around  the  ornaments  which  cannot  be  reached 
when  laying  the  gold  with  the  tip. 

Do  not  try  to  cover  a space  one-half  inch  square  or 
larger  with  the  skewings.  If  this  is  done,  the  work 
will  look  cloudy.  On  such  a place  it  is  always  better 
to  lay  a piece  of  gold,  and  then  brush  in  with  skewings 
and  skew. 

Take  brush  No.  14  and  dust  off  all  loose  gold.  Next, 
look  carefully  at  the  places  to  be  burnished,  and  if 
there  are  any  particles  of  gold  on  them,  wipe  off  with  a 
cloth  wet  with  benzine,  taking  care  that  the  cloth  does  not 
touch  the  parts  that  are  not  to  be  burnished. 


30 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Applying  Finish  Size. 

Now  coat  the  parts  of  the  frame  that  are  gilded  in  oil 
gold,  with  finish  size  Formula  No.  i8.  Use  brush  No. 
9,  and,  when  once  the  gold  is  covered  and  partly  dry,  do 
not  go  over  it  again  with  the  brush.  If  this  is  done,  it 
will  look  muddy  and  will  pull  up  the  gold. 

Do  not  allow  this  finish  size  to  touch  the  places  to 
be  burnished:  in  case  it  does,  it  forms  a coat  which  is 
brittle  and  is  liable  to  chip  ofi  when  the  burnisher  is  used. 

After  the  finish-size  has  been  applied,  allow  it  to 
dry;  then  give  the  parts  of  ornaments  to  be  burnished 
two  more  coats  of  gold  burnish  size  (Formula  No.  9, 
using  brush  No.  3)  and  allow  the  first  coat  to  dry  before 
applying  the  second.  After  these  two  coats  have  been 
applied,  do  not  sandpaper,  but  allow  them  to  remain 
as  they  are.  When  the  last  coat  is  on  and  thoroughly 
dry,  the  gold  may  then  be  laid  for  burnishing. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


SI 


Laying  Gold  for  Burnishing. 

For  this  purpose  use  brush  No.  4.  This  is  a double 
brush,  made  by  fitting  a quill  camel’s  hair  letterer  on 
the  end  of  the  handle  of  a camel’s  hair  lacquer  brush. 
The  combination  is  called  a “Gilder’s  pencil.”  . 

With  the  larger  brush,  apply  the  gilding  liquor  (Form- 
ula No.  13)  to  the  gold  size  that  is  on  the  ornaments, 
while  keeping  the  smaller  brush  dry,  and  using  it  only 
for  tucking  the  gold  around  the  ornaments  to  be  burn- 
ished, in  case  it  should  adhere  to  the  top  of  the  ornament 
that  is  not  to  be  burnished. 

Take  the  cushion  and  cut  a piece  of  gold  (as  in- 
structed on  page  50)  a little  larger  than  the  ornament 
to  be  burnished,  and  pick  it  up  on  the  gilder’s  tip.  In 
picking  up  the  gold,  use  as  little  of  the  tip  as  possible. 
If  the  piece  of  gold  is  one  inch  wide,  do  not  allow  the 
hair  to  catch  on  the  gold  more  than  one  quarter  of 
an  inch. 

If  right  handed,  hold  the  cushion  with  the  left  hand, 
and  with  the  right,  use  the  tip  to  pick  up  the  gold. 
Then  place  the  tip  with  the  gold  on  it  between  the  first 
and  second  fingers  of  the  left  hand.  It  will  then  be 
in  good  position'  to  take  quickly  with  the  right  hand  when 
wanted. 

Thoroughly  wet  the  gilder’s  pencil  in  the  gild- 


32 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


ing  liquor.  (See  Formula  No.  13.)  Apply  it  to  the 
ornament  to  be  burnished.  Do  not  brush  it  hard,  but 
flow  the  gilding  liquor  on  freely.  As  soon  as  this  is 
done,  take  the  tip  which  already  contains  the  gold  and 
apply  it  to  the  ornament.  Do  this  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, as  the  gold  must  be  on  before  the  gilding  liquor 
dries  olf.  Do  not  attempt  to  put  this  liquor  on  all  the 
parts  that  are  to  be  burnished,  and  then  lay  the  gold; 
but  put  the  liquor  on  one  or  two  places,  and  then  apply 
the  gold  as  quickly  as  possible. 

In  applying  the  gold,  do  not  let  the  tip  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  gilding  liquor  that  is  on  the  ornament; 
for,  if  it  does,  the  gold  will  stick  to  the  tip  and  cannot 
be  handled.  It  will  be  found  by  practise  that  the  gold 
can  best  be  applied  to  burnished  parts  by  a light,  quick 
stroke. 

The  motion  might  be  likened  to  that  which  one  would 
make  in  testing  a hot  flat  iron.  One  would  not  let 
one’s  finger  rest  on  the  iron,  but  would  give  it  a light 
quick  touch.  It  is  just  such  a stroke  as  this  which  is 
used  in  laying  gold  for  burnish. 

Then,  when  proceeding,  use  the  smaller  brush  on 
the  gilder’s  pencil  to  push  down  the  gold  wherever 
it  is  necessary. 

After  the  gold  is  laid  on  the  ornaments  to  be  burn- 
ished, set  the  frame  aside  and  allow  these  parts  to 
become  thoroughly  dry.  This  will  take  from  one  to 
three  hours.  When  dry,  it  will  be  ready  to  burnish. 


The  Art  and  Science  ^ of  GUding 


33 


Burnishing  Ornaments. 

The  burnish  is  produced  by  rubbing  with  an  agate 
burnisher,  using  a forward  and  back  motion,  and  bearing 
on  hard  enough  to  bring  out  a bright  burnish.  If  too 
little  pressure  is  used,  it  will  not  burnish,  and  too  much 
pressure  will  rub  off  the  gold.  A very  little  practice 
will  enable  one  to  get  the  desired  result.  The  agate 
burnishers  are  made  in  many  shapes,  suitable  for  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  work.  It  is  best  to  have  two  or  three, 
but  one  of  the  medium  size,  with  a crook,  can  be  made 
to  answer  most  of  the  requirements  of  the  picture  frame 
gilder.  First  burnish  the  ornaments.  Do  not  allow 
the  burnisher  to  touch  the  oil  gold,  for  if  it  does,  the 
gold  will  come  off. 

After  the  ornaments  have  been  thoroughly  burn- 
ished, brush  off  the  loose  gold  with  brush  No.  14. 
Places  where  the  burnish  gold  size  is  not  covered  may 
be  found  at  the  edges  of  the  ornaments  burnished.  In 
such  cases,  cover  these  places  with  a fine  quality  ot 
bronze.  (Formula  No.  16,  apply  with  brush  No.  i.) 


34 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Burnishing  Hollows  and  Beads. 

The  concave  parts  of  a moulding  are  called  hollows; 
the  narrow  raised  parts,  whether  round  or  square,  are 
called  beads.  On  new  work,  the  flats,  hollows,  and 
beads  do  not  require  any  preparing  with  thin  or  thick 
white.  Go  over  them  with  sandpaper  and  dust  thor- 
oughly ; then  prepare  with  gold  burnish  size  as  described 
in  preparing  ornaments  for  burnishing.  That  is,  use 
two  coats  of  gold  burnish  size  (Formula  No.  9). 
To  apply  this  to  hollows  and  beads,  use  brush 
No.  3.  For  flats  use  brush  No.  5.  Then 

smooth  with  No.  00  sandpaper,  as  instructed  on  page  20. 
After  smoothing,  dust  thoroughly,  and  give  two  more 
coats  of  gold  burnish  size.  Remember  that  the  last  two 
coats  are  not  to  be  sandpapered  or  smoothed.  In  ap- 
plying gold  burnish  size  to  flats,  hollows  and  beads; 
have  enough  size  on  the  brush  to  cover  the  hollow  or  bead 
from  one  mitre  of  the  frame  to  the  other.  Beginning 
at  one  corner,  draw  the  brush  lightly  and  gradually  bear 
down,  so  as  to  give  the  section  as  even  a coat  as  possible. 

Lay  the  gold  in  the  manner  described  on  page  32. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


35 


Gilding  New  Work, 

When  a frame  is  first  gilded,  the  gilder  generally  has 
to  put  on  it  certain  preliminary  work  that  it  was 
not  necessary  to  mention  when  giving  instructions  for 
regilding.  When  a new  frame  is  given  to  the  gilder, 
he  should  first  turn  it  face  down  on  the  bench,  and  see 
if  the  outside  bottom  edge  has  been  chamfered  off.  If 
not  he  should  either  plane  it,  or  sandpaper  the  rough 
edges  of  the  whiting.  The  ornaments  should  be  looked 
at  closely.  Many  places  may  be  found,  where  they  have 
not  been  glued  to  the  frame  properly,  and  a space  will 
show  between  the  ornament  and  the  whiting.  These 
places  should  be  filled  with  putty.  Often  the  ornaments 
will  be  found  to  be  rough  and  imperfect;  then  it  will  be 
necessary  to  sandpaper  them.  This  must  be  done  care- 
fully, and  the  ornament  kept  as  near  to  the  original 
shape  as  possible.  When  reaming  out  nail  holes  for 
puttying,  see  that  the  whiting  has  not  been  cracked  by 
the  joiner  when  he  nailed  the  frame  together.  Such 
cracks  should  be  cut  out  and  puttied  as  described  on 
page  10,  It  should  not  be  necessary  to  put  thin  white  on 
the  flats,  as  they  are  always  supposed  to  be  in  first- 
class  condition  when  they  leave  the  factory;  but  from 
now  on,  the  process  of  preparing  a new  frame  is  the 
same  as  that  of  an  old  frame  for  regilding.  Thin  white. 


36 


Th^  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


thick  white,  smooth,  sandpaper,  dust,  &c.,  but  instead 
of  using  shellac  clear  coat  Formula  No.  5,  use  glue 
clear  coat  Formula  No.  6.  This  is  applied  hot.  Place 
the  cup  in  a pan  of  water  and  heat,  use  brush  No.  6 
and  apply  hot.  Dab  it  down  in  and  around  the  orna- 
ments, and  see  that  they  are  well  covered.  If  they  are 
not  well  covered,  the  oil  size  will  soak  into  the  compo 
and  the  gold  will  not  stick.  When  applying,  do  not  work 
over  the  clear  coat  many  times,  for  it  chills  quickly  and 
may  foam,  and  then  would  leave  a rough  surface  when 
dry.  Wipe  the  clear  coat  off  places  that  are  to  be 
burnished.  This  can  be  done  with  the  finger  as  it  is 
being  applied.  If  a little  is  left  on  it  will  not  cause  any 
trouble,  unless  it  should  foam.  When  clear  coating 
ornaments  that  are  close  to  flats,  wipe  off  the 
flats  before  the  clear  coat  that  gets  on  them  is  dry.  The 
flats  must  have  a coat,  but  not  until  the  ornaments 
have  all  been  coated.  It  is  applied  to  the  flats,  as  one 
would  paint,  starting  from  one  mitre  of  the  frame,  draw 
the  brush  along  the  flat  to  the  next  mitre,  using  plenty 
of  clear  coat,  and  taking  care  to  have  it  hot.  If  it  should 
foam  while  being  applied,  add  three  or  four  drops  of 
turpentine.  Shellac  clear  coat  Formula  No.  5 can  be 
used  on  new  work,  but  Formula  No.  6 is  preferable. 
!A.fter  the  clear  coat  is  dry,  proceed  the  same  as  in  re- 
gilding old  frames. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


37 


Matte  Gilding. 

Matte  gilding  is  used  only  for  plain  parts  which  have 
no  ornamentation,  flat  surfaces,  hollows  and  beads. 

If  a plain  lining  is  to  be  matted,  it  must  be  done 
before  it  is  nailed  to  the  frame.  Never  try  to  gild  a 
frame  in  matte  that  has  two  or  more  sections,  after 
the  parts  have  been  put  together.  Gild  and  finish  each 
section  separately,  and  nail  together  afterward. 

First,  make  sure  that  the  flats  are  well  sandpapered 
with  No.  00  sandpaper;  and  well  dusted.  With  brush 
No.  5 give  the  surface  that  is  to  be  matted,  two  coats  of 
gold  burnish  size.  When  each  coat  is  dry,  prepare 
some  No.  oo  sandpaper  as  described  on  page  20  and 
smooth  the  gold  size.  Do  not  try  to  remove  it,  but 
give  it  a burnish  effect. 

Dust  thoroughly  with  Brush  No.  I2,  then  with  a 
clean  cloth,  wipe  off  all  particles  of  dust  not  removed 
by  the  duster.  Take  brush  No.  5 and  give  the  flats  a 
coat  of  matte  gold  size  No.  i (Formula  No.  ii),  heated 
hot.  After  this  size  is  perfectly  dry,  lay  the  gold  on  the 
same  as  described  in  laying  gold  for  burnish  (see  page 
32),  allowing  the  gold  to  lap  over  at  least  one-eighth 
of  an  inch.  When  applying  the  gilding  liquor,  use  brush 
No.  5 ; and  do  not  wet  the  entire  flat  that  is  to  be 
gilded  at  once.  Wet  a small  section,  an  inch  or  so 


38 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


longer  than  the  piece  of  gold,  and  be  sure  to  apply  the 
liquor  after  laying  each  piece.  Should  the  beginner 
attempt  to  lay  two  or  more  pieces  with  one  wetting,  it 
probably  would  result  in  dry  lays,  and  such  places 
would  have  to  be  patched.  After  laying  the  gold,  set 
the  frame  aside  to  dry.  When  dry,  take  a wad  of 
cotton-batting  and  wipe  off  all  loose  particles  of  gold. 
Then  with  brush  No.  5 give  the  frame  a coat  of  hot 
matte  gold  size  No.  2 (Formula  No.  12).  When  dry, 
apply  a second  layer  of  gold  leaf  as  described  above, 
and  when  this  is  dry  wipe  off  again  with  cotton-batting. 
The  frame  is  then  ready  for  a coat  of  finish  size  (Form- 
ula No.  18). 

If,  at  any  time,  when  laying  matte  or  burnish  gold, 
a place  called  a ‘‘dry  lay’^  is  found  where  the  gold  did  not 
adhere,  it  may  be  patched  with  a small  piece  of  gold. 
Use  brush  No.  i and  wet  with  gilding  liquor  the  size 
that  is  exposed.  Be  careful,  however,  to  wet  only  the 
part  that  contains  no  gold.  After  it  is  dry,  smooth  off 
with  cotton  batting.  Flaws  on  burnished  places  can  be 
patched  in  the  same  manner. 

The  effect  of  matte  and  oil  gilding  is  practically  the 
same.  The  matte  is  a little  smoother,  but  as  it  takes 
twice  as  much  gold,  the  oil  process  is  generally  used. 

I 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


39 


Gilding  with  Dutch  Metal. 

Metal  leaf  and  Dutch  metal  are  names  given  to  a 
combination  of  copper,  zinc,  and  other  metals  beaten 
into  leaf,  and  used  as  an  imitation  of  gold  leaf.  As  it 
is  difficult  to  obtain  satisfactory  results  on  smooth  sur- 
faces, this  leaf  is  used  mostly  on  ornaments ; and  as  it  is 
not  beaten  out  as  thin  as  gold  leaf,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
use  a tip  to  handle  it.  When  applying  it  to  ornaments, 
gilders  usually  pick  it  up  with  the  fingers ; but  when  using 
it  on  smooth  surfaces,  like  the  backs  of  frames,  a stick 
covered  with  velvet  or  plush  is  very  convenient,  and 
helps  to  lay  it  smoother  and  quicker  than  if  handled 
with  the  fingers.  This  stick  should  be  about  two  inches 
by  six,  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick;  with  a piece 
of  velvet  or  plush  around  one  edge. 

When  using  this  stick,  the  leaf  is  not  blown  out  on 
the  cushion.  A book  of  leaf  is  fastened  to  the  cushion 
as  described  on  page  49,  and  the  velvet  edge  of  the  stick 
is  placed  on  a leaf  about  one  inch  from  the  edge 
of  it.  Then  a slight  puff  of  breath  will  blow  a portion 
of  the  leaf  so  that  it  will  lap  over  the  edge  of  the 
stick;  then  it  can  be  picked  up  and  applied  to  the  frame. 

The  preparation  for  gilding  with  metal  is  the  same 
as  for  gilding  in  oil  with  gold,  except  that  you  will 
require  a different  oil — one  that  is  made  for  the  purpose. 


40 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


called  “Metal  oil.”  This  oil  is  heavier,  and  does  not 
dry  as  quickly  as  that  used  for  gold.  Aside  from  that, 
you  will  proceed  just  the  same  as  you  would  in  laying 
gold.  After  the  leaf  is  applied,  do  not  shellac,  but  go 
over  the  frame  with  a lacquer,  using  brush  No.  ii. 
This  is  to  protect  the  metal  and  give  it  the  rich  gold 
color  desired.  Either  buy  a lacquer  for  the  purpose, 
or  make  it  yourself.  (Formula  No.  19.) 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


41 


Applying  Silver  Leaf. 

To  finish  a frame  in  silver  leaf,  proceed  the  same 
as  when  gilding  with  gold.  It  would  be  better  to  have 
the  clear  coat  Formula  No.  6 a little  stronger.  Equal 
quantities  of  stock  size  and  water  will  be  the  right  propor- 
tion. After  laying  the  silver  leaf,  give  the  frame  two 
good  coats  of  shellac.  If  the  silver  is  not  well  coated, 
it  will  tarnish.  If  the  flats  are  more  than  one-fourth  of 
an  inch  wide,  it  would  be  better  to  lay  in  matte. 

As  silver  leaf  is  thicker  than  gold  and  requires  more 
oil  on  the  tip,  have  a piece  of  mutton  tallow,  and  brush 
the  tip  across  it  occasionally.  Do  not  use  this  tip  for 
laying  gold. 

On  many  silver  frames,  a black  color  is  put  on  the 
background  of  the  ornaments,  and  the  finish  is  then 
known  as  “oxidized  silver.’^  This  black  color  is  gen- 
erally made  from  lamp  black  mixed  with  a weak  glue 
size.  Some  gilders  put  a little  blue  gold  size  in  it, 
thinking  that  it  makes  a better  color  . Brush  it  into 
the  ornaments,  and  when  they  are  dry,  wipe  off  the  tops 
with  a soft  cloth.  The  glue  size  must  be  very  weak,  or  it 
will  be  difficult  to  wipe  it  off  without  taking  the  silver 
with  it. 


42 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Roman  Gold  Gilding. 

Roman  gold  is  the  name  given  to  a very  fine  grade  of 
bronze  powder.  It  is  a bronze  that  not  only  gives  a fine 
matte  finish,  but  can  also  be  burnished  like  gold. 

While  treating  of  this  class  of  gilding,  we  would 
advise  the  gilder  not  to  attempt  the  regilding  of  old 
frames  in  this  finish;  as  the  result  would  not  be  sat- 
isfactory. Gilding  with  Roman  gold  should  be  done 
on  new  work  only. 

Prepare  the  frame  the  same  as  for  gilding  in  gold; 
that  is,  putty,  thin  white,  thick  white,  smooth  and  sand- 
paper; but  do  not  clear  coat  or  shellac.  After  it  is 
dusted,  give  the  entire  frame  a coat  of  red  clay  size 
(Formula  No.  17  with  brush  No.  6).  (This  red  clay 
can  be  purchased  from  J.  J.  Heins,  6 Sullivan  Street, 
New  York  City.)  After  applying  the  red  clay,  heat  the 
Roman  gold  powder  (Formula  No.  15)  and  apply  with 
brush  No.  10,  taking  care  to  get  the  bronze  down,  in  and 
around  the  ornaments.  Give  the  frame  two  or  three 
coats  of  the  Roman  gold,  or  enough  to  cover  it  well. 
After  it  is  dry,  take  brush  No.  15  and  rub  fairly  hard  over 
the  frame  in  order  to  remove  all  surplus  bronze.  See  if 
the  parts  are  well  covered ; and  if  not,  coat  over  again  un- 
til they  are.  Then  take  a piece  of  sandpaper.  No.  o,  and 
remove  the  bronze  from  the  places  which  are  to  be  bum- 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


43 


ished.  Dust  the  frame  and  give  these  places  two  coats 
of  burnish  size  (Formula  No.  14,  brush  No.  3),  as 
instructed  on  pages  20  and  21.  When  dry,  give  these 
parts  two  or  three  coats  of  Roman  gold  (Formula  15, 
brush  No.  10),  and  when  these  are  dry,  burnish,  as  de- 
scribed on  page  33. 

The  frame  must  now  be  given  two  coats  of  banana 
liquid  as  a protective.  This  liquid  is  a sort  of  white 
lacquer,  and  is  for  sale  in  all  paint  stores.  It  was 
named  from  its  peculiar  odor,  which  is  something  like 
that  of  bananas.  Some  dealers  have  put  a very  inferior 
article  on  the  market,  and  as  it  is  necessary  that  a 
good  quality  be  used  for  this  purpose,  the  gilder  should 
be  careful  to  get  the  best.  See  page  67. 

Apply  this  banana  liquid  with  brush  No.  10.  Go 
over  the  entire  frame,  burnishes  and  all.  Use  freely 
and  be  sure  that  the  frame  is  well  covered.  However, 
take  care  that  there  are  no  runs  on  the  flats.  Brush 
them  over  carefully  and  leave  them  as  smooth  as  possible. 

A word  about  this  Roman  gold  powder.  There  are 
many  qualities  on  the  market,  and  at  many  different 
prices.  J.  W.  Gillis  Co.  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  import  a 
very  fine  grade,  and  are  selling  it  to  their  customers. 
It  is  the  bronze  from  which  they  obtain  their  artistic 
effects  in  Roman,  Etruscan  and  antique  gold.  They 
sell  it  for  50c  per  ounce,  or  $6.00  per  pound. 


44 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Gilding  with  Liquid  Bronze. 

Gilding  with  bronze  powder  is  the  cheapest  class  of 
gilding,  and  as  it  is  very  easy  to  apply,  many  frames 
are  finished  in  that  way.  While  it  cannot  be  recom- 
mended where  first-class  work  is  desired,  a very  good 
effect  can  be  produced  when  it  is  properly  handled.  A 
frame  finished  entirely  with  bronze  will  look  cheap,  but 
if  there  is  a fair  amount  of  gold  burnish  on  the  frame, 
and  the  right  quality  and  color  of  bronze  is  used,  a 
result  can  be  obtained  that  to  the  ordinary  observer,  will 
pass  for  gold. 

There  are  hundreds  of  bronzes  on  the  market,  of 
every  shade  and  quality,  and  as  each  dealer  has 
his  own  name  for  the  different  shades,  it  is  not  pos- 
sible to  indicate  which  should  be  used.  A fine  quality 
of  what  is  called  “matte  bronze”  is  best  for  frame 
work,  but  the  gilder  must  select  the  color  that  will  best 
secure  the  result  he  desires. 

If  it  is  intended  to  put  gold  burnishes  on  the  frame, 
these  places  should  be  prepared,  according  to  instruc- 
tions on  pages  20  and  21,  before  the  bronze  is  applied. 
Then  the  bronze  must  be  removed  from  these  places 
with  sandpaper  before  the  gold  size  is  put  on. 

First  give  the  frame  a coat  of  shellac  (Formula 
No.  5,  with  brush  No.  ii),  and  when  it  is  dry, 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


45 


a coat  of  liquid  bronze  (Formula  No.  i6,  brush  No. 
lo).  Then  allowing  each  coat  to  dry  before  applying  the 
next,  give  a second,  third  or  even  a fourth  coat  of  the 
liquid  bronze,  if  a very  nice  effect  is  desired.  The  last  coat 
should  be  thinner — that  is,  about  one-half  teaspoonful 
of  bronze  to  five  or  six  tablespoons ful  of  banana  liquid. 
This  liquid  bronze  must  be  flowed  on  evenly,  and  care 
must  be  used  to  avoid  runs  on  the  flats.  When  the 
last  coat  is  dry,  give  the  smooth  parts  of  the  frame  a 
coat  of  shellac  (Formula  No.  i8).  It  is  not  necessary 
to  shellac  the  ornaments. 


46 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Bleaching  Old  Engravings. 

To  know  how  to  restore  old  engravings  is  always 
valuable  knowledge  to  the  picture  framer;  and,  if  one  will 
follow  our  instructions  and  use  our  formula  No.  23,  one 
will  be  able  to  restore  to  its  former  condition  an  engrav- 
ing that  is  yellow  and  stained  from  age.  This  is  a branch 
of  business  from  which  a good  profit  may  be  derived ; as 
the  time  and  money  expended  is  but  a trifle  compared 
with  the  price  that  is  charged  for  the  bleaching.  Most 
old  engravings,  though  very  valuable  are  stained  and  dis- 
figured and  their  owners  are  willing  to  pay  well  to  have 
them  restored.  Pictures  which  can  be  restored  are: 
Steel  engravings,  etchings  and  photo-gravures.  It  is  not 
advisable  to  try  to  bleach  a picture  that  is  printed  on  India 
paper ; as  the  India  paper  is  very  thin  and  is  mounted  on 
a heavier  paper.  If  one  were  to  try  to  bleach  one  of  this 
kind,  the  India  paper  would  come  off  from  the  other  and 
there  would  be  much  difficulty  in  remounting  it. 

A pan  about  two  inches  deep  and  large  enough  to  al- 
low the  picture  to  lay  flat,  will  be  required.  One  thirty- 
two  by  forty-two  inches,  would  be  large  enough  for  a 
picture  thirty  by  forty  and  of  course  would  do  for  any- 
thing smaller.  A pan  as  large  as  this,  should  be  made 
of  galvanized  iron,  and  it  must  be  made  to  hold  water. 

First,  place  the  picture  in  the  pan,  face  side  up  and 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


47 


pour  into  the  pan  enough  water  to  cover  the  picture. 
Leave  the  water  in  until  the  picture  is  saturated;  then 
pour  it  off.  Next,  pour  into  the  pan  a sufficient  quantity 
of  formula  No.  23  to  cover  the  picture.  Allow  the  pic- 
ture to  remain  in  the  solution  until  the  stains  entirely 
disappear.  Then  pour  off  the  solution. 

There  should  be  a large  bottle  provided  in  which  to 
keep  the  solution,  as  it  can  be  used  several  times.  After 
pouring  off  the  solution,  place  the  pan  containing  the 
picture  under  a faucet  of  running  water,  and  allow  it  to 
wash  for  ten  minutes.  If  running  water  is  not  con- 
venient, put  the  print  through  eight  or  ten  changes  of 
water.  Remove  the  print  from  the  pan,  and  place  it  on 
a clean  paper.  Take  a large  piece  of  blotting  paper  and 
absorb  all  the  water  possible  from  the  picture.  If  de- 
sired, it  may  then  be  mounted. 


48 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


The  Gilder's  Tip. 

The  gilder's  tip  is  a flat  brush,  about  four  inches 
wide,  with  hair  one  and  one-half  to  two  and  one-half 
inches  long.  It  is  used  to  pick  up  and  put  the  gold 
leaf  on  the  frame  or  article  to  be  gilded. 

Tip  No.  i6  is  used  for  laying  the  gold  on  burnishes, 
and  places  where  only  small  pieces  of  gold  are  used. 
Tip  No.  17  for  oil  work. 

The  hair  on  this  tip  should  always  be  kept  straight 
and  smooth.  The  best  and  most  convenient  way  to 
do  this,  is  to  place  it  flat  against  the  face,  put  the  palm 
of  one  hand  against  it  and  with  the  other  hand  draw 
it  away,  thus  straightening  the  hairs.  Do  this  after 
using;  and  when  the  gilding  is  finished,  put  the  tip  be- 
tween the  leaves  of  a book  and  keep  it  there  until 
needed  again. 

Before  using  the  tip  to  pick  up  gold,  flatten  it  in 
the  same  manner,  but  instead  of  the  face,  use  the  top 
of  the  head,  and  draw  the  tip  between  the  palm  of 
the  hand  and  the  hair.  The  hair  of  the  head  has  more 
or  less  natural  oil,  and  some  of  it  gets  on  the  tip,  which 
causes  the  gold  to  adhere  more  readily.  While  using 
the  tip  it  is  well  to  occasionally  brush  it  across  the 
hair.  This  will  keep  it  in  good  condition  and  make  it 
work  better. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


4^ 


The  Cushion  and  How  to  Use  It. 

The  gilder’s  cushion  is  a padded  board,  usually  about 
five  by  nine  inches,  covered  with  specially  prepared  sheep- 
skin. There  is  a leather  loop  on  the  under  side  with 
which  to  hold  it,  and  a parchment  shield  around  one  end 
to  form  a protection  for  the  gold  when  blown  into  it 
from  the  book.  Some  gilders  prefer  to  use  a cushion 
without  a shield.  A strip  of  leather  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  wide  is  fastened  across  the  cushion.  A section, 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  by  three  inches  is  cut  out  of  the 
strip,  and  by  passing  a match  under  the  strip  and  through 
the  thread,  with  which  the  book  is  sewed,  one  or  more 
books  of  gold  leaf  may  be  fastened  to  the  cushion.  Then 
with  the  gilder’s  knife  the  gold  is  taken  out,  of  the  book, 
a leaf  at  a time,  and  blown  flat  on  the  cushion. 

When  using  the  cushion,  the  thumb  of  one  hand — say 
the  left — should  be  put  through  the  leather  loop  on  the 
underside.  This  leaves  the  fingers  free  to  hold  the  tip 
and  knife.  The  most  convenient  way  is  to  hold  the  tip 
between  the  first  and  second  finger,  and  the  gilder’s 
knife  between  the  third  and  fourth  finger.  After  becom- 
ing accustomed  to  this  arrangement,  it  will  be  found 
that  when  the  gold  has  been  cut  and  the  knife  placed  be- 
tween the  fingers  of  the  left  hand,  the  tip  is  right  there  to 
be  taken  back  by  the  same  movement.  Before  picking 
up  the  gold,  brush  the  tip  once  across  the  hair;  and 
when  the  tip  is  put  back  in  the  left  hand,  after  applying 
the  gold  leaf  to  the  frame,  the  same  movement  will  bring 
back  the  knife  to  spread  out  and  cut  the  gold. 


50 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Cutting  the  Gold. 

To  cut  the  gold  leaf  will  require  some  practise  and 
patience.  First  place  a leaf  of  gold  on  the  front  part  of 
the  cushion  and  blow  it  flat,  as  described  on  page  24. 
Now  place  the  edge  of  the  gilder's  knife  on  the  leaf 
where  it  is  to  be  cut,  press  down  fairly  hard,  and  push 
the  knife  away  from  you  about  an  eighth  or  a quarter 
of  an  inch;  then  draw  it  toward  you  until  it  leaves  the 
gold  entirely.  If  the  knife  is  raised  in  the  act  of  cutting, 
and  before  it  is  through  and  away  from  the  gold,  it  may 
pick  up  the  gold  and  cause  trouble. 

It  is  a good  plan  to  draw  the  blade  of  the  knife  through 
an  empty  gold  leaf  book,  pressing  the  book  while  doing 
so.  A reddish  powder,  which  is  used  to  keep  the  gold 
from  sticking  to  the  paper,  clings  to  the  leaves  of  the 
book.  This  will  also  prevent  the  gold  from  sticking  to 
the  knife.  We  would  advise  occasionally  rubbing  the 
leaves  of  a book  on  the  cushion,  to  prevent  the  gold  from 
sticking. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


51 


Formula  No.  i Stock  Size. 

This  is  a preparation  that  is  used  in  many  of  the 
other  formulas ; and,  as  much  of  it  is  required,  a quantity 
should  be  kept  on  hand,  ready  for  use. 

For  mixing,  it  will  require  a bowl  that  will  hold  at  least 
a quart.  Fill  the  bowl  three-fourths  full  of  Heins’  white 
glue  and  pour  on  cold  water  until  covered,  then  allow  it 
to  stand  until  the  glue  is  soaked.  Place  the  bowl  with 
its  contents  in  a pan  of  water,  and  heat  until  the  glue  is 
thoroughly  melted.  Stir  well,  and  allow  it  to  cool. 


B2 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Formula  No.  2 Gilder's  Putty. 

Into  a cup,  put  two  tablespoons  full  of  melted  stock 
size,  and  six  tablespoons  full  of  water.  Place  the  cup 
in  a pan  of  water,  and  heat.  Stir  well.  This  is  called 
'^putty  size."  Now  put  a pound  or  more  of  bolted  whit- 
ing in  a box.  A cigar  box  will  do.  This  box  should  be 
marked,  so  that  it  will  not  be  used  for  anything  but  the 
making  of  gilder’s  putty.  With  the  fist,  make  an  impres- 
sion in  the  whiting  deep  enough  to  contain  the  putty  size. 
Pour  the  hot  putty  size  into  the  impression,  and  with  a 
stick,  stir  the  whiting  into  the  putty  size  until  it  becomes 
the  consistency  of  thick  dough.  Rub  some  whiting  on 
the  hands,  take  the  putty  up,  and  mix  it  evenly  by  rolling 
it  between  the  hands.  After  it  is  thoroughly  mixed,  take 
a piece  of  cotton  cloth;  dampen  it  with  water,  and  roll 
the  putty  in  it.  This  will  preserve  it  for  several  days.  A 
crust  that  will  form  over  it  within  a day  or  two,  should 
be  cut  off,  and  underneath  will  be  found  moist  putty, 
ready  for  use. 

When  puttying  a frame,  take  a piece  of  putty  about  the 
size  of  a walnut.  As  the  heat  of  the  fingers  causes  the 
putty  to  gradually  become  dry,  slightly  moisten  it  from 
time  to  time  as  needed.  Most  gilders  use  spittle  for  this 
purpose.  There  is  nothing  poisonous  in  any  of  the 
preparation  used  in  gilding,  so  one  need  not  be  afraid  of 
being  injured. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


53 


Formula  No.  3 Thin  White. 

Into  a cup,  put  two  tablespoons  full  of  melted  stock 
size  ,and  seven  tablespoons  full  of  water.  Place  the  cup 
in  a pan  of  water,  and  heat  until  melted  and  thoroughly 
mixed.  Then  stir  in  four  level  tablespoons  of  bolted 
whiting  and  strain  through  fine  cheese  cloth. 

When  applying  this  preparation,  it  must  be  kept  hot. 
There  is  no  danger  of  it  becoming  full  of  pin  holes,  but 
there  are  times,  especially  in  winter,  when  it  becomes 
foamy.  When  this  happens,  add  three  or  four  drops  of 
turpentine. 


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The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Formula  No.  4 Thick  White. 

Into  a cup,  put  one  tablespoonfull  of  melted  stock  size, 
and  three  and  one-half  tablespoonsfull  of  water.  Place 
the  cup  in  a pan  of  water  and  heat.  After  it  is  melted, 
take  the  cup  out  of  the  pan,  and  stir  in  nine  tablespoons- 
full of  bolted  whiting  and  three  tablespoonsfull  of  china 
clay.  Mix  thoroughly,  and  strain  through  a very  fine 
cheese  cloth.  If  unable  to  obtain  china  clay,  use  twelve 
tablespoonsfull  of  whiting.  To  use  this  thick  white, 
place  the  cup  in  a pan  of  hot  water,  but  do  not  have  any 
fire  under  it.  As  soon  as  it  is  melted,  take  it  out  of  the 
pan.  Never  allow  it  to  become  hot.  If  it  is  too  hot 
when  applied  to  the  frame,  it  becomes  full  of  little  holes, 
called  by  gilders  “pin  holes.”  When  the  thick  white  pin 
holes,  add  ten  drops  of  turpentine,  which  will  generally 
overcome  the  trouble.  However,  if  it  continues  to  pin 
hole,  throw  it  away,  and  mix  another  lot.  If  one  gilds  on 
top  of  a pin  hole  surface,  the  result  will  be  very  poor 
work;  work  that  would  never  be  accepted  in  a first- 
class  shop.  So  be  very  careful  to  watch  this  preparation 
while  melting. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


55 


Formula  No.  5 Shellac  (Clear  Coat)  for  Regilding. 

To  one-half  cup  of  liquid  shellac,  such  as  can  be  pur- 
chased at  any  paint  or  drug  store,  add  one-quarter  cup  of 
alcohol.  Stir  with  brush  before  using. 

Either  orange  or  white  shellac  may  be  used.  Many 
gilders  prefer  the  orange,  as  with  that,  any  places  that 
have  not  been  covered  can  more  readily  be  seen. 

If  the  gilder  wishes  to  buy  dry  shellac  and  cut  it  him- 
self, he  should  take  a wide  mouthed  bottle  and  fill  it 
with  dry  shellac,  then  pour  in  enough  alcohol  to  cover  it. 
This  should  be  allowed  to  stand  until  the  shellac  is  dis- 
solved or  cut.  It  will  do  no  harm  if  it  is  shaken  occa- 
sionally. This  liquid  shellac  will  be  stronger  than  the 
shellac  that  is  for  sale,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  put 
one-half  cup  of  alcohol  to  one-half  cup  of  shellac  to  get 
the  required  strength. 


Formula  No.  6 Clear  Coat  for  New  Work. 

Into  a cup  put  four  tablespoonsfull  of  melted  stock  size, 
and  five  tablespoonsfull  of  water.  Place  the  cup  in  a 
pan  of  water  and  heat.  Pour  in  one-half  teaspoonful  of 
alcohol  while  stirring.  Apply  hot  with  brush  No.  6. 


56 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Formula  No.  7 Rabbit  Skin  Glue  Size. 

Into  a large  cup,  put  two  ounces  of  rabbit  skin  glue,  and 
one-half  pint  of  water.  Let  it  stand  until  soaked;  then 
put  the  cup  in  a pan  of  water  and  heat  until  melted. 

Formula  No.  8 Glue  Size  for  Gold  Burnish  Work 

Into  a cup,  put  four  tablespoonsfull  of  formula  No.  7, 
and  five  tablespoonsfull  of  water.  Place  the  cup  in  a 
pan  of  water  and  melt. 


Formula  No.  9 Gold  Burnish  Size 

Into  a cup  put  one  tablespoon  full  of  Heins^  gold  burnish 
size,  (Blue  Clay),  and  three  tablespoonsfull  of  water 
Mix  thoroughly  before  adding  three  teaspoonsfull  of 
Formula  No.  8.  Mix  thoroughly,  then  strain  through  a 
very  fine  bolting  cloth.  When  this  preparation  becomes 
set  or  chilled,  place  the  cup  in  a pan  of  warm  water  and 
allow  to  stand  until  melted.  Stir  the  size  while  in  process 
of  melting  and  do  not  allow  it  to  become  hot,  or  it  will 
pin  hole.  A foam  may  form  on  it  while  melting.  Four 
or  five  drops  of  alcohol  will  cut  this  foam  and  prevent 
pin-holing. 


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67 


Formula  No.  io  Oil  Gold  Size. 

Open  a can  of  Heins*  oil  size  according  to  the  directions 
which  will  be  found  on  the  outside  of  the  can.  There  is 
quite  a sediment,  which  must  be  stirred,  until  it  is  well 
mixed  with  the  oil  that  floats  on  top.  Then  pour  about 
two  teaspoons  full  into  a saucer,  and  add  about  one-fourth 
of  a teaspoon  full  of  Japan  dryer.  This  will  give  a harder 
surface  on  which  to  lay  the  gold,  than  would  be  obtained, 
were  the  size  alone  used.  Stir  the  Japan  into  the  oil 
thoroughly. 


Formula  No.  ii  Matte  Gold  Size  No.  i. 

Into  a cup  one-half  full  of  water,  put  a piece  of  stock 
size  about  the  size  of  a pea,  and  one  teaspoonfull  of 
alcohol.  Place  the  cup  in  a pan  of  water  and  heat. 


Formula  No.  12  Matte  Gold  Size  No.  2. 

Into  a cup  seven-eighths  full  of  water,  put  a piece  of 
stock  size  about  the  size  of  a pea,  and  one  teaspoonfull  of 
alcohol.  Place  the  cup  in  a pan  of  water  and  heat. 


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•The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Formula  No.  13  Gilding  Liquor. 

Into  a tumbler,  put  eight  tablespoonsfull  of  cold  water 
and  three  teaspoonsfull  of  alcohol. 

Grain  or  denatured  alcohol  may  be  used  in  all  of  the 
preparations. 

Formula  No.  14  Size  for  Roman  Gold  Burnishes. 

Into  a cup  put  two  tablespoonsfull  of  Formula  No.  7 
and  four  tablespoonsfull  of  water.  Place  the  cup  in  a 
pan  of  water  and  melt.  Then  stir  in  four  tablespoons 
level  full  of  Heins’  Burnish  gold  size.  Mix  thoroughly. 

Formula  No.  15  Size  for  Mixing  with  Roman  Gold. 

Into  a cup  put  one  teaspoon  full  of  melted  glue,  Formula 
No.  7,  one-half  pint  of  hot  water  and  one  ounce  of 
Roman  gold  powder.  Stir  until  well  mixed.  If  you 
wish  it  a little  stronger,  use  more  glue. 

Formula  No.  16  Liquid  Bronze 

Into  a cup  put  six  tablespoonsfull  of  banana  liquid,  and 
stir  into  it  one  teaspoonfull  of  bronze  powder.  Mix 
thoroughly. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


59 


Formula  No.  17  Red  Clay  Size, 

Into  a cup  put  one  tablespoonfull  of  Heins’  red  clay, 
and  three  tablespoonsfull  of  water.  Mix  thoroughly,  be- 
fore adding,  four  teaspoonsfulls  of  Formula  No.  8.  Mix 
thoroughly,  then  strain  through  a very  fine  bolting  cloth. 
To  use,  place  the  cup  in  a pan  of  warm  water,  but  do 
not  allow  it  to  become  hot. 

Formula  No.  18  Finish  Size. 

To  one-half  cup  of  alcohol,  put  one  teaspoonfull  of 
white  shellac,  cut  as  described  in  Formula  No.  5. 

Formula  No.  19  Lacquer  for  Dutch  Metal. 

Cut  orange  shellac,  as  described  in  Formula  No.  5. 
Cut  one  teaspoonfull  of  powdered  gamboge  in  six  table- 
spoonsfull of  alcohol,  and  one  teaspoonfull  of  powdered 
dragons  blood  in  six  tablespoonsfull  of  alcohol.  Then 
to  one  tablespoonfull  of  the  cut  shellac  and  one  table- 
spoonful of  the  cut  gamboge  and  one  teaspoonfull  of  the 
cut  dragons  blood,  add  four  tablespoonsfull  of  alcohol. 
Mix  thoroughly.  The  gilder  may  have  to  vary  the  pro- 
portions a little,  to  get  the  desired  color,  as  these  in- 
gredients are  not  always  of  the  same  strength. 

Gamboge  and  dragons  blood  can  be  bought  at  any  drug 
store,  in  stick  form,  and  should  be  broken  up  with  a 
hammer,  before  cutting. 


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The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Formula  No.  20  Composition. 

This  is  the  material  used  for  making  ornaments  and  is 
generally  known  as  compo.  It  is  necessary  to  have  two 
pots.  In  one,  put  three  pounds  of  Heins^  white  glue  and 
one  quart  of  water.  After  it  is  thoroughly  soaked,  place 
it  on  the  stove  to  melt.  Into  the  other,  put  two  pounds 
of  rosin  and  one  pint  of  rosin  oil,  and  place  it  on  the  stove 
to  melt.  After  they  are  melted  separately,  allow  the 
rosin  to  cool  for  about  fifteen  minutes  then  put  it  into 
the  glue  and  mix  thoroughly.  Into  a box  large  enough 
for  the  purpose,  put  fifteen  or  twenty  pounds  of  bolted 
whiting.  Bank  this  whiting  around  the  sides  to  prevent 
the  mixture  from  sticking  to  the  box.  Then  pour  the 
mixture  into  it  and  stir  with  a stick  until  it  becomes  the 
consistency  of  dough,  and  thick  enough  to  handle. 
Sprinkle  some  whiting  on  a board  or  table,  and  knead 
the  compo  until  thoroughly  mixed.  In  time  the  compo 
becomes  very  hard.  It  is  softened  by  subjecting  it  to  the 
action  of  live  steam.  In  factories  and  in  places  where 
it  is  in  constant  use,  a steam  box  is  used.  Where  only 
used  occasionally,  a simple  way  is  to  make  a stretcher  and 
cover  with  cheese  cloth.  Put  the  compo  on  this  stretcher 
and  place  it  over  a pan  of  boiling  water,  and  over  it  put 
a box  to  keep  the  steam  in. 

To  make  a compo  casting,  first  oil  the  mould  either 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


61 


with  kerosene  or  crude  oil.  If  the  compo  has  been 
steamed,  put  some  whiting  on  a board  or  bench  and 
place  the  compo  on  it.  Then  work  some  of  the  whiting 
into  it,  first  with  a stick  and  then  with  the  hands,  knead- 
ing it  thoroughly.  Before  handling  it,  cover  the  hands 
with  whiting  to  prevent  it  sticking  to  and  burning  the 
hands.  Roll  out  a sufficient  quantity  to  make  the  casting, 
and  place  it  on  the  mould.  Now  take  a piece  of  hard 
wood  two  or  three  inches  longer  and  an  inch  or  two 
wider  than  the  mould,  and  an  inch  thick.  This  is  called 
a casting  board.  A press  will  be  required.  An  ordinary 
letter  press  is  very  good  for  the  purpose.  Moisten  the 
face  of  the  casting  board  with  a damp  cloth  and  place  it 
over  the  compo  on  the  mould  then  place  both  mould  and 
casting  board  in  the  press,  the  casting  board  being  on 
top.  One  learns  by  practice  how  much  pressure  is  neces- 
sary. After  taking  from  the  press  separate  the  mould 
from  the  casting  board  by  striking  one  end  of  the  casting 
board  on  the  bench  or  press.  Have  the  mould  under- 
neath, and  keep  one  hand  under  it  to  catch  it.  Pressing 
once  is  all  that  is  usually  required,  but  if  the  ornament  is 
very  deep  it  may  be  necessary  to  replace  the  cast  in  the 
mould  and  press  over  again  to  obtain  a good  cast.  This 
should  be  allowed  to  harden  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes, 
and  it  will  then  be  in  condition  to  be  cut  off  with  a sharp 
carving  knife.  The  ornament  can  be  sliced  from  the 
background  and  is  then  ready  to  be  glued  to  the  frame. 


62 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Formula  No.  21  Composition  Moulds. 

These  moulds  are  used  when  it  is  necessary  to  replace 
ornaments  that  have  been  broken  off  and  are  missing. 
Take  a piece  of  soft  compo,  (Formula  No.  19)  at  least 
one  inch  thick,  and  one  inch  larger  each  way,  than  the 
ornament  that  is  to  be  copied.  After  coating  the  orna- 
ment with  crude  oil  press  the  compo  on  it,  so  as  to  get 
as  good  an  impression  as  possible ; then  remove  the  compo 
from  the  ornament  and  set  it  aside  to  harden.  This  will 
take  two  or  three  days.  The  gilder  will  then  be  able  to 
supply  the  missing  parts  by  using  this  mould  to  make  a 
casting,  as  described  in  Formula  No.  19.  If  only  a small 
piece  is  needed,  it  may  not  be  necessary  to  put  it  in  the 
press,  as  the  ornament  can  be  formed  by  pressing  the 
compo  into  the  mould  with  the  fingers. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


63 


Fdrmula  No.  22  Cement  Moulds. 

First  see  that  the  ornament  which  is  to  be  copied  is  on 
a solid  base.  If  the  ornament  is  one  by  twelve  inches,  it 
should  be  glued  securely  to  a piece  of  hard  wood  at  least 
three  inches  wide,  fifteen  inches  long  and  one  inch  thick. 
Next  prepare  a box  to  hold  the  mould.  This  must  also  be 
of  hard  wood  (Maple  is  as  good  as  any).  It  should  be 
about  two  and  a half  or  three  inches  larger  each  way 
than  the  ornament ; or  about  three  and  one-half  by  fifteen 
inches  for  a one  by  twelve  ornament;  and  one  inch  or 
more  in  thickness.  Dig  out  from  this  block  an  excavation 
sufficiently  large  to  take  the  ornament.  For  a one  by 
twelve  ornament,  the  excavation  should  be  at  least  one 
and  one-half  by  twelve  and  one-half,  and  one-eighth  inch 
deeper  than  the  deepest  part  of  the  ornament.  The 
edges  of  the  excavation  should  be  under  cut  to  prevent 
the  cement  from  pulling  out  of  the  box. 

Into  a three  quart  stew  pan  with  handle,  put  three  cups 
full  of  orange  shellac,  one  and  one-half  cups  full  of 
rosin,  one  cup  full  of  black  lead,  and  three  tablespoons- 
full  of  pine  tar.  Melt  over  a medium  fire,  constantly 
stirring  with  a stick.  On  a smooth  board  or  bench,  put 
two  cups  full  of  powdered  pumice.  Form  this  pumice 
with  the  hands  into  the  shape  of  a dish,  about  seven  or 
eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  into  it  pour  the  melted  shel- 
lac, etc.,  the  contents  of  the  stew  pan.  With  two  sticks 
work  the  pumice  into  the  cement,  and  when  cool  enough. 


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The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


work  with  the  hands  until  thoroughly  mixed.  Then  put 
into  the  stew  pan  and  melt  over  again.  Put  a little  more 
pumice  on  the  bench  and  repeat  the  mixing.  It  becomes 
a mass  that  can  be  rolled  out  as  one  would  roll  out  putty. 
Roll  out  enough  to  fill  the  excavation  in  the  box.  Now 
coat  the  ornament  and  the  top  of  the  box  with  kerosene. 
Put  the  cement  in  the  box  and  carefully  press  the  orna- 
ment into  the  centre  of  it.  Take  it  out  and  see  if  it  is 
in  the  right  place,  then  put  it  back  again  and  place  it  in 
the  press  squeezing  it  lightly.  Do  not  leave  the  ornament 
in  the  mould  more  than  thirty  seconds  as  the  cement  is 
very  hot  and  will  soften  the  compo  if  it  is  left  in  too 
long.  After  the  ornament  has  been  out  for  a minute  or 
so,  put  it  back  and  squeeze  again,  this  will  have  to  be 
done  several  times  before  the  cement  becomes  hard  and 
smooth. 

After  the  first  or  second  squeeze  it  will  be  noticed 
that  there  is  too  much  cement  in  the  box.  It  will  require 
a hot  iron  to  remove  it  (an  old  flat  file  is  very  good  for 
the  purpose).  Put  it  in  the  fire  until  nearly  red  hot,  and 
with  it  you  will  be  able  to  scrape  off  the  superfluous 
cement. 

When  finished  the  cement  should  be  flush  with  the 
top  of  the  box.  This  process  requires  considerable 
patience  and  perseverance.  This  quantity  of  cement  will 
make  about  two  moulds  of  the  size  mentioned.  The 
cement  can  at  any  time  be  melted  and  used  over  again. 
Use  care,  however,  not  to  burn  it.  If  a mould  should 
crack,  it  can  be  softened  by  holding  over  fire  and  by 
pressing  over  again. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


65 


Formula  No.  23  Solution  for  Bleaching  Old 
Engravings. 

Dissolve  three  ounces  of  chloride  of  lime  in  hot  water 
and  run  through  filtering  paper.  Then  put  it  with  five 
ounces  of  carbonate  of  soda  into  five  gallons  of  water. 
If  this  solution  is  kept  after  using,  it  should  be  put  into 
a bottle  or  bottles  and  well  corked,  or  it  will  loose  its 
strength.  The  chloride  of  lime  and  carbonate  of  soda  in 
powder  form  should  also  be  kept  in  bottles.  A better 
plan,  is  to  get  a few  cents  worth  of  the  lime  and  soda 
from  a drug  store  as  required. 


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The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


Brushes. 

No.  1.  yi  inch  Round  Extra  Camel’s  Hair  Water 
Color  Brush. 

No.  2.  3-16  inch  Round  Extra  Camel’s  Hair  Water 
Color  Brush. 

No.  3.  inch  Round  Camel’s  Hair  Lacquering* 
Brush. 

No.  4.  ^ inch  Round  Camel’s  Hair  Lacquering* 
Brush  with  ^ inch  Round  Camel’s  Hair 
Lettering*  Brush, 

No.  5.  inch  Flat  Camel’s  Hair  Lacquering  Brush. 
No.  6.  ^ inch  Flat  Superfine  Artists’  Bristle  Brush. 
No.  7.  1 inch  Flat  Superfine  Artists’  Bristle  Brush. 
No.  8.  inch  Flat  Superfine  Artists’ Bristle  Brush. 
No.  9.  ^ inch  Single  Chisel  Fitch  Brush. 

No.  10.  1 inch  Double  Chisel  Fitch  Brush. 

No.  11.  1%  inch  Double  Chisel  Fitch  Brush. 

No.  12,  2Y2  inch  Flat  Paint  Brush. 

No.  13.  1 incn  Camel’s  Hair  Duster. 

No.  14.  \Y,  inch  Badger  Blender. 

No.  15.  2x8  inch  Bristle  Clothes  Brush. 

No.  16.  1 Yz  inch  Camel  Hair  Gilders’  Tip. 

No.  17.  2 inch  Camel  Hair  Gilders’  Tip. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 


67 


Care  of  Brushes. 

Brushes  which  have  been  used  in  shellac,  or  bronze, 
should  be  cleaned  in  alcohol.  Brushes  which  have  been 
used  in  size,  glue  or  oil,  should  be  well  washed  in  soap 
and  water,  and  thoroughly  dried  before  being  used  again. 
A piece  of  paper  wrapped,  after  cleaning,  around  the 
hair  of  shellac  and  bronze  brushes  will  help  to  keep  them 
in  condition. 

To  indicate  the  proper  brush  to  use  for  each  operation 
in  the  process  of  gilding,  is  rather  a difficult  task.  Cata- 
logue numbers  cannot  be  given,  as  each  manufacturer 
has  his  own  method  of  numbering.  The  descriptions 
given  on  page  66  should  be  sufficient;  but  in  most  of  the 
smaller  cities  and  towns,  it  is  not  always  possible  to  get 
what  is  required;  and  in  such  places,  the  beginner  will 
have  difficulty  in  selecting  the  best  for  the  purpose. 

To  provide  for  this  condition,  the  authors  have  put  in 
a stock  of  brushes,  and  other  articles  that  the  beginner 
will  require,  and  will  supply  all  who  wish  them.  On  the 
following  page  will  be  found  a list  of  articles,  that  we 
have  called  “The  Gilders  Outfit.”  This  shows  the 
number  of  brushes  that  will  be  needed,  and  the  approxi- 
mate cost  of  each.  Prices  of  other  articles,  such  as  Gold, 
Silver,  Dutch  Metal,  Bronze,  Glue,  Shellac,  Banana 
Liquid,  etc.,  will  be  furnished  on  application. 


The  Art  and  Science  of  Gilding 
The  Guilder's  Outfit. 

I  Gilder’s  Cushion $i  25 

I  Gilder’s  Knife  (Single  or  double  edge)  50 

1 Agate  Burnisher 85 

3 No.  I Brushes,  7c  each 21 

2 No.  2 Brushes,  8 each 16 

I No.  3 Brush  14 

1 No.  4 Brush 25 

3 No.  5 Brushes,  20c  each 60 

2 No.  6 Brushes,  17c  each 34 

2 No.  7 Brushes,  22c  each 44 

3 No.  8 Brushes,  27c  each 81 

1 No.  9 Brush 22 

3  No.  10  Brushes,  32c  each 96 

2 No.  II  Brushes,  48c  each 96 

I No.  12  Brush 25 

I No.  13  Brush 57 

I No.  14  Brush 55 

I No.  15  Brush 25 

I No.  16  Brush 20 

I No.  17  Brush 22 

I Putty  Stick 10 

I lb.  Oil  Gold  Size  75 

I lb.  Burnish  Gold  Size 75 

33 

This  entire  outfit  will  he  sent  by  express  for  $9.75. 

The  articles  have  been  carefully  selected,  and  are  all 
of  the  finest  quality.  Any  item  will  be  sent  by  mail 
(postage  paid)  on  receipt  of  price. 

FORD  & MIMMACK, 

190-196  Edinburgh  Street,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


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